Wall hangers or the like



Oct. 3, 1961 c, D

WALL HANGERS OR THE LIKE Filed April 30. 1959 INV NTOR. W M

ATT NEY States atent attains Patented Oct. 3, 1961 3,002,723 WALL HANGERS OR THE LIKE Charles Damn, 40 Central Park S., New York, N.Y. Filed Apr. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 809,986 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-315) This invention relates to wall hangers such as used to support fixtures such as towel rings and racks, soap dishes, glass holders and similar devices, and more particularly to a novel and simple improvement in such hangers whereby the supported fixture is readily, easily and simply maintained in a fixed predetermined orientation.

A common form of wall hanger comprises a cast, molded, or otherwise formed metal plate, usually somewhat ornamental in configuration, provided with suitably concealed means for securing it to a vertical surface, such as a wall. An aperture through this plate or plaque receives a screw or bolt which secures a rod or tubular member, such as gooseneck or a sleeve, to the plate. The gooseneck may support a glass holder, and the sleeve may receive the ends of a spring ring towel holder. Also, the gooseneck or reverse bend rod or tube may be part of an elongated towel holder or of a holder for a roll of toilet tissue.

In this form of wall hanger, the supported element is held in proper orientation only to an extent determined by the tightness of the screw or bolt, and it is difiicult, particularly in the case of fixtures, such as towel rings and glass holders, supported on a single plate to maintain these fixtures in proper orientation. Particularly under the weight of supported articles, the fixture tends to swing or be swung out of proper orientation. Despite this difiiculty, this type of hanger has found wide spread acceptance due to its superior characteristics as compared with other types of fixture hangers, such as its ease of assembly, neat and attractive appearance, and ready adaptability, as well as its relatively sturdier construction.

In accordance with the present invention, this difiiculty with respect to maintenance of proper orientation of the fixture is corrected in a novel and simple manner adding little if anything to the cost and difiiculty of manufacturing the hanger. More particularly, the outer surface of the hanger is formed with at least one elongated rectilinear groove arranged to seat a rod or tube and centered relative to the screw receiving aperture. This groove extends in the direction of desired orientation of the fixture rod or tube and, when the rod, sleeve, or tube is drawn into seating engagement in the groove by tightening the screw or bolt, it is effectively prevented from turning about the axis of the screw or bolt even if the latter becomes slightly loosened.

Preferably, in the practical case, the front surface of the plate is formed with two such grooves at right angles to each other with their intersection centered on the screw or bolt hole, one groove extending vertically and the other horizontally in the normal position of the hanger.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a wall hanger embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of such hanger as used to support a towel ring fixture;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the hanger as used to support a glass holder fixture.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention is illustrated, solely by way of example, as embodied in a simple cast plate hanger 10 provided with apertures 11 to receive screws ornails for securing the hanger 10 to a wall. In the usual practical case, plate 10 would have a hollow rear surface for concealed mounting means for the hanger. The illustration of a greatly simplified hanger has been selected in order to better accentuate the features of the invention.

In accordance with the invention, the front surface of plate 10 is formed with a pair of arcuate cross-section recesses or grooves 12, 13 at right angles to each other and intersecting at aperture 14 which is arranged to receive screw or bolt means securing a fixture to hanger 10. Groove 12 may extend substantially vertically and groove 13 substantially horizontally. The perpendicular relation of the grooves is exemplary only, as the grooves may intersect at other than a right angle. Also, while two grooves are shown by way of example, the hanger front surface may be formed with a single groove or with three or more intersecting grooves.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show hanger 10 as used to support a towel holder fixture and maintain it properly oriented. In this case, a securing screw 15 is extended through aperture 14 and threaded into a short sleeve 16 to draw the sleeve into seating engagement in groove 13. Such seating engagement maintains sleeve 16 against rotation about the axis of screw or stud 15 and in a horizontal orientation. The towel ring fixture includes the sleeve 16 and a spring ring 17 having ends which may be spread slightly and snapped into the sleeve 16. Ring 17 may be swung about the axis of sleeve 16 in the usual manner but is substantially immovable about the axis of screw 15.

FIG. 4 illustrates hanger 10 as utilized with a fixture for a soap dish or glass holder. This fixture comprises a J-shaped bar or tube 20 having one leg 21 seated in groove 12 and its shorter leg 22 supporting a dish 25 for holding soap or holding a glass. The fixture is locked into groove 12 by means of a bolt extended through aperture 14 and leg 21 and having an ornamental nut 23 threaded thereon and tightened against leg 21. It will be noted that fixture 20, by virtue of leg 21 held in seating engagement in groove 12, is held in vertical orientation and against movement about the axis of the securing bolt.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

A wall mounted bathroom fixture or the like comprising, in combination, a base plate having coplanar rear surface portions for firm securement bearing against a wall, and having a front surface formed with at least a pair of intersecting relatively elongated and rectilinearly extending recesses; a fixture having a relatively elongated tubular sleeve formed for substantially conforming seating along one of said recesses and extending across the intersection of the latter, and further comprising a towel holder spring ring having ends engaged in the ends of said sleeve; said base plate having an aperture therethrough at the intersection of said recesses; a headed fastener extending forwardly through said aperture and engaged in said fixture portion to hold the latter firmly seated in said one recess and thereby restrained against rotation relative to said plate in a plane parallel to the front surface of the latter.

(R enc s 0 following pag References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .Eustis Feb. 27,1912 Mehlhafi Mar.8,' 19 49 Somers Apr. 14, 1 885 Keil Apr. 5, 1904 Donaldson 5---. Feb. 1, 1955 

